Bottle-crate



A. L. FOREMAN.

BOTTLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13. 1916.

Patented May 25, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- a m V 5 47 M i m H 1 My 3 Z A w T F f a 8 0 K i 8 a M M AMOS L. ronnmnn, or -nnnrnvronn, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR r0 roan Mans SYSTEMS, mconronnrnn, or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, a CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

BOTTLE-CRATE.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, Amos L. FOREMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Bottle-Grates, of which th following is a, specification.

My invention consists of certain improvements in the bottle crate forming the subject of my previous Letters Patent No. 1,050,823, dated January 21, 1913-, the object'ofmy present invention being to securely connect the ends'of the longitudinal bottle-separating strips to the end members of the crate without the use of nails.

This object I attain in the manner hereinafter-set forth, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in'which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a bottle crate constructed in accordance with my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section 0 the same; I I Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, on a larger scale than Fig. 1, of part of one of the end members of the crate and of the connection between the same and an end of one of the longitudinal strips;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, on a larger scale than Fig. 2, of side members of the crate and of the connection between the same and an end of one of the transverse strips;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on the same scale as Fig. 3, of an end portion of one or the longitudinal strips; I v

Fig. 6 is a similar perspective view illustrating a modification;

Fig. 7 is a top view of one corner of the crate and of the corner plate. applied thereto; 1

Fig. 8 is a bottom View of said corner and of the bottom plate applied thereto;

Fig. '9 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, on the line 99, '1 ig. '5 and I Fig. 10 is a horizontal section on the line l010, Fig. 9.

The frame of the crate is composed as before of end members 1, bottom end strips and side members 3 and i, and the bottle supporting and separating structure of the comprises the bottom wire 9 the longitudinal separators 1i and the transverse separators 12.

he crate may be constructed for the reion of any desired number of bottles, de-

Specification of Letters Patent.

a smooth outer face.

Patented May 25,1920.

Application filed November 13, 1916. Serial Rio-131,121.

pending the number ofstrips 11 and in the former crate, being intended to provide a more secure connection than before between the separators and the end and side members of the crate and to dispense with the use of nails in effecting such connections.

The ends of the flat strips from which the longitudinal separators 11 are made form split tubes 5 which pass through openings I formed in the end members 1 and terminate in the countersunk ends 6 of said openings, the outer end portions of each member '5 being flanged down upon the outer face o'f a washer 7 which surrounds saidmember 5 and bears with its inner face against the base of the countersunk outerend 6 of the opening in the end member 1 through which the end member 5 passes, the flanged outer end of said member 5 being within thecountersink 6 so that said end member 1 presents instead of being in the form of split tubes the opposite ends of into solid rod-like form, as show 11 for instance at 5 in rig. 6, the outer end of the rod-like member this case being riveted down against the outer race of the washer 7. I

In either case the ends or the longitudinal separators 11 will be securely confined to the end members 1 of the crate without the use of nails and without weakening the'end portions of the-separatorsby forming therein openings for the reception of said nails.

For the sake of economy it is frequently advisable to build up the end members 1 or the crate from two or more relatively narrow pieces, and T find that this can be done without materially weakening the end member it said component parts of the latter are locked together by means of dowels 8 with notched edges 8*, such as shown i and 3.

This, however, forms no part ofmy present invention.

the separators 11 may be pressed-or forged The side members 3 and 4 ofthe crate are likewise .locked together, as shown in Fi'.

formed in them, for the ,reception ofthe pins, openings of less diameter than said pins but in most cases this has been found to be unnecessary.

Ateach corner of the crate there is an angular top plate 14 and an angular bottom plate 15 conforming to the side and end members of the crate and secured thereto by nails 16, although screws maybe used instead of nails, if desired. The top member 14 has a downwardly projecting flange 14 for engagement with the inner faces of th end and side members of the crate, and

an upwardly projecting flange.,14 for engaging with the corners of a crate above'it,

' and insuring the proper centering of the crates when they arepiled one upon another.

The top and bottom'corner plates 14 and 15 are tied together by means of a rod 17 which is containedin a mortise formed in the end member 1 of the crate in line with one of the faces of the rabbet joint between said end member of the crate and the side member, .so that it can be readily produced at the same time that the end member is'being rabbeted.

The ends of the rod 17 pass through countersunk openings in the top and bottom plates 14 and 15 and are in-rigid engagement therewith, so as to firmly tie the top and bottom corner plates together, and at the same time stiffen and strengthen the joint between the side and end members of the crate. j

' By preference, the rigid engagement of the rod 17 with the plates 14 and 15 is effected by'riveting the ends of'said rod into countersunk seats in the plates, as shown in Fig. 9, although other means of effecting such engagement may be used, if desired.

strip, said end portions passing through Y with the smooth travelof the crate over a roller bed or other supporting surface.

1. The combination of the end members of a bottle crate with a bottle separator having longitudinal members whose ends are secured to said end members of the crate, each of said longitudinal members of the sepa: rator consisting of a flat strip which, at its ends, merges into a circular cross section having its axis 'in .line with the body of the openings in the end members of the crate and being'ex'panded at their outer ends.

2., The combination of the end members of a bottle crate, each of said members having therein. transverse openings each with a countersunk outer end having a washer hearing against ,the base thereof, with a bottle separator having longitudinal members, each consisting of a flat strip which, at the ends, merges into a circular cross section having its axis in line with the body of the strip, said end portions passing through the transverse openings in the end members of the crate and being expanded at the outer ends so as to bear against the outer faces of the washers at the base of the countersunk ends of said transverse openings.

3. The combination of the end members of the bottle crate with a bottle separator having longitudinal members whose ends are secured tothe end members of the crate, each of said longitudinal members of the separator consisting of a flat strip which, at

'each end, has its edges curled'upwardly and inwardly so as to present a split tubular cross section having its axis in line with the body ofv the strip, said split tubular end portions passing through openings in the end members of the crate and each being ex- 'panded at its outer end to form a retaining flange at right angles to its axis.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification- AMOS L. FOREMAN. 

